


Making Manaketes or Gift From Naga

by Rycalla



Series: The Line of Naga [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Bisexual Female Character, Breastfeeding, Dragons, Dreaming, Egg Laying, Eggpreg, F/F, Magical Pregnancy, Manaketes, Transformation, Virgin Birth, graphic childbirth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-05
Updated: 2015-01-23
Packaged: 2018-02-28 05:37:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 18,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2720717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rycalla/pseuds/Rycalla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After questioning from Rycalla (my Robin) Tiki has questions of her own. And Naga's powerful Divine Dragon will changes everything for her daughter. For once I'm trying to write something that isn't dirty, so no warnings. Had some trouble with deciding on the title, so I just used both of the ideas I had!<br/>Originally rated teen, but was advised to up the rating since this will eventually have a pretty extreme scene later on.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Fire Emblem: Awakenings and its characters are owned by Intelligent Systems. I’m just having fun here.  
> Delved into a lot of dragon lore from all sorts of things for this. I also used Fire Emblem Wikia. Strange things I found…kinda sad, some of them. Rycalla is my Robin.  
> 

“You never told us anything about Manaketes. I mean, I know you live a long time, but exactly how long? And what’s it like to be a dragon? Does it feel different than normal?” Rycalla asked Tiki. It seemed to be her hobby to ask annoying questions. At least the Manakete thought so. “Hey, if you’re just dragons that turn into people, does that mean you lay eggs?”  
Tiki seemed offended by that last question. “Manaketes are sterile,” she hissed.  
“You can’t be. There’s young ones, aren’t there, like Nowi. And she has…she will have…a child,” Rycalla said.  
“Okay, maybe we’re not completely sterile, but we have…problems. It’s part of what we are. A long time ago, something happened. It messed us up, severely. Honestly, I don’t know if we lay eggs or not, since no Manakete I have known has had a child. Now, can you go away? I’m tired,” Tiki said, looking to fall asleep right on the spot.  
“I suppose I could go make sure Morgan hasn’t been using Falchion to cut up apples again or something…you’re asleep already. Sheesh.” Rycalla walked off. She didn’t even realize Tiki wasn’t really asleep, she just had her eyes closed because she was depressed and deep in thought.  
Naga, why are her questions hitting home now? Is it possible that…do I want…? Tiki thought to herself. She wanted to sleep, but with the kind of thoughts she was having, for once it seemed it wouldn’t come. She laid down and tried for a while, but knew it wasn’t going to happen. Her mind was racing, it had not done this for a long time. She didn’t know why she was having these thoughts now.  
…Not to mention it didn’t help that about a half hour after she went down, Nowi came charging in, all hyper and excited. Tiki stared at her, remembering how she was when she had been that age. That was back when she had traveled with her Mar-Mar, and she remembered being excitable, but not as much as the other Manakete.  
“What’s got you so happy?” Tiki asked, not even getting up.  
“Sorry? Did I wake you? I didn’t mean to, I’m just so happy, and I have to scream it!” Nowi cried.  
“But why?”  
Nowi tilted her head. “I don’t know. Nothing. I guess you don’t need a reason to be happy. I mean, you need a reason to be sad and all, but you don’t need a reason to be happy. Just happy to be alive, and all,” she said.  
“That’s very profound. Especially coming from you. And no, you did not wake me. I haven’t been able to sleep for some reason,” Tiki said, rolling over onto her other side.  
Nowi jumped over her and crouched down in front of her. “You, not able to sleep? That’s different. Hey, have you tried counting dragons?” she asked.  
“What are you talking about?”  
“Count dragons. Helps me get to sleep. If that doesn’t work, you want to come and play? Play with Nowi? Make yourself tired?” Nowi asked.  
“I am unbearably exhausted, just can’t sleep. And I don’t play anymore. I’m afraid I wouldn’t know how,” Tiki said, sitting up and stretching out, losing all hope that she was going to get any sleep for quite a while.  
“Something’s bothering you. I can tell, you know. You can tell me, Manakete to Manakete. I won’t tell anyone if you don’t want me to! Nowi promises!”  
“I just don’t feel well. Rycalla was in here, asking questions again, and…some of them I didn’t know what to say, but they made me upset. I thought about turning into a dragon and eating her. And just now I suddenly feel hot, maybe one of the other reasons I can’t sleep,” Tiki said.  
“Hot? Me too. I…think I know why,” Nowi said.  
“You think it’s dragon heat? I’d know if it was that. I’ve dealt with it before, you know. It shouldn’t be time for that yet. It’s usually every fifty years, isn’t it? It’s only been a few years since I last came into heat, Nowi,” Tiki said, standing up. She figured maybe it would be a good idea to take a walk, try to clear her mind so she could sleep.  
Nowi followed, not letting up. “You’re different than other Manaketes, though, aren’t you, being a divine dragon and all?”  
“Not so different. Nowi? Would you like to take a walk with me? It might help me feel better, having a fellow Manakete to talk to.”  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
The two Manaketes went out into the town, as Nowi had a sudden need to buy snacks, even though Rycalla would find out she had spent the money they were saving for new weapons. She had done it before.  
“Be nice to Rycalla, Nowi. She’s annoying, but she’ll die long before we do. And you’ll miss her, like I miss Mar-Mar,” Tiki said.  
“From the Manakete who was thinking about eating her. You’ll miss her too. As for me, who I’m really gonna miss is gonna be Henry. He’s strange, but I love him. That’s why I married him,” Nowi said.  
“At least you’ll always have your daughter, and I’m not planning on going anywhere either,” Tiki said. Nowi tossed her an apple.  
“It’s good to have Manakete friends again,” Nowi said, “I can tell you almost anything.”  
“Why don’t you talk to your daughter?”  
“Nah is so boring! How can she be my child? What kinda Manakete doesn’t want to turn into a dragon and fly around for no reason in particular?”  
“I don’t do that either!”  
“No, but you’re mature. I bet when you were my age all you wanted to do was play too! Not only does it help me keep my sanity, it’s a great way to train. If there were any other young Manaketes around other than my daughter, I’d play with them. She was born to play with me! It’s why I’m gonna have her!” Nowi yelled.  
“I wasn’t so hyper. I was sad. My mother gave me up when I was a baby, never fully understood why. Something to do about my power. I don’t even remember what it’s like to have someone care about me. Mar-Mar did, but he saw me as more of a sister than anything else. There was another Manakete, but I don’t know what happened to him and he was too old for me. I’ve never even really thought about being with anyone else after. I suppose it doesn’t matter anyway. I’m fine the way I am,” Tiki said, biting into the apple.  
“Doncha ever wanna have a baby Manakete and teach him how to turn into a dragon and stuff?”  
Tiki wanted that more than anything, but she didn’t want to tell anyone that. It was useless. “I’m a three-thousand-year-old virgin, and even if I did have a mate it’s unlikely I’d ever conceive. You know we have trouble with that, you’re just gonna get lucky. I don’t know what I want! And we’re dragons to begin with…I think. Can’t teach that,” she said.


	2. Chapter 2

Rycalla was kind of surprised to see Tiki still awake. She looked haggard and everything, so she obviously hadn’t slept, and it worried the other woman. Rycalla had to find a way for the Manakete to sleep, and much as she hated to, the only person she thought would have any ideas would be the witch Tharja.  
Tharja had always had an unhealthy obsession with Rycalla, although it seemed to have diminished just a little since she had gotten pregnant (of course, at this point nearly every woman in the camp was either pregnant or had just had a child). The witch seemed a little more interested in what kind of hexes she could use on her unborn child than messing with Rycalla lately, and the other woman was thrilled. Rycalla didn’t like being watched by that mage. She never knew what kind of nasty trick Tharja would be up to.  
Tharja was looking through a spellbook, trying to find a good hex that would work on her child but wouldn’t mess her up too. She had been born of curses, there had to be something, and she had to find it soon. She was due within a month. Yes, she had noticed Rycalla’s approach, but the pink-haired Grandmaster never wanted to be hexed so what fun was she? Vaike accepted it more than she would, even though Tharja had never bothered to ask him if he wanted to have spells cast on him, and she hadn’t even done it since she had found out they were expecting a child.  
“Hey, I need your help,” Rycalla said.  
Tharja looked at her and grinned evilly. “Gonna cost you, and you know what I want,” she said sweetly.  
“Look, I’m not in the mood for any of your possible-lesbian need to cast spells on me. This is important,” Rycalla snapped.  
“Don’t call me a lesbian. I’m married, same as you. Just because I need to cast spells on you doesn’t mean I’m sexually attracted to you…well, maybe a little…but anyway…”  
“Are you gonna help me or not?”  
“It depends on what you need. If you need someone to bleed out their eyes, I could arrange that.”  
Rycalla sighed. “Always the most disgusting curse you can think of, isn’t it? I don’t want anything like that. And it isn’t even for me, it’s for Tiki. She seems so miserable lately,” she said.  
“What do you want me to do to her?” Tharja asked, flipping through her book some more.  
“You made me fall asleep that one time…”  
“I didn’t do anything to you! I just watched you breathe!”  
“…and I’m not accusing you of anything. Shut up and listen to me. I just want to know if you could do that for Tiki. She hasn’t been sleeping lately, I can tell. She doesn’t look well, and without eighteen hours of sleep a day, that Manakete isn’t right,” Rycalla finished.  
Tharja got up, with a little difficulty being as heavy as she was. “Yeah Calla, I could do that. You’re still gonna owe me, but a chance to hex a Manakete? That doesn’t come often. Just let me get my herbs together. Where is the Manakete? Find my daughter too, she can help,” she said.  
“I think Noire is a little freaked out by you right now, seeing as that’s her you’re carrying, but I’ll look for her,” Rycalla said.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Tiki still hadn’t been able to sleep, even after her talk with Nowi. She didn’t understand it. Normally, she could fall asleep even in the middle of heated battle. Now, she hadn’t slept for at least a day. She hadn’t gone without sleep for so long since she had been a child. Of course, back then, she was the opposite. She almost never slept. Sometimes she would get into bed with Marth and protect him all night. It was nothing even the slightest bit sexual, she was still a virgin now after all and. She just needed to guard him from enemies would might try to kill him in his sleep. He didn’t have to get so mad when he’d wake up to find her in the bed too.  
The Manakete laid on a bed in the barracks, hoping this time she’d finally fall asleep. Wondering what was wrong with her. Yes, she was in dragon heat, but that had never made her lose sleep before, and it happened at least every fifty years like clockwork. She kept her eyes closed, maybe that would help her.  
Tharja watched the Manakete from a distance, not letting her know what she was up to. She was sure Tiki would protest even if it would help her. And angry Manaketes were terrifying. She did not want Tiki to turn into a dragon and eat her or something equally bad.  
“Maybe I should go back to my tree…” Tiki murmured to herself.  
“Can’t be away from your hoard for that long?” Morgan asked, deciding to lie down next to her.  
“Go away, please. I don’t have a hoard. I’m a Divine Dragon. Only Fire Dragons need hoards,” Tiki said, opening one eye.  
“I heard that all dragons need hoards, and they don’t like to be away from them,” Morgan said.  
“Nope. Only Fire Dragons. Go bother your mother or something. Trying to sleep here.”  
“Tharja is eyeing you.”  
“Isn’t she always? I’m a Manakete, we’re interesting. I don’t mind so long as she doesn’t do anything else. Have I told you how much you look like Marth? Please leave me alone. I’m sick,” Tiki said, rolling onto her other side, facing away from the boy.  
As soon as Morgan left, Tharja saw her chance and cast her spell. Tiki was unaware, but she finally drifted off into sleep. The witch decided it was a perfect time to look at her more closely, she had little knowledge of Manaketes…but she had to be careful. Even asleep, dragons were not to be toyed with.


	3. Chapter 3

Tiki walked down a dark corridor. She had had this kind of dream before. She knew what awaited her at the end, and she was also relieved. She knew she was dreaming, which meant she had finally fallen asleep. Maybe she would be okay.  
Naga awaited her precious daughter at the end of the hall. Tiki ran to her and cuddled up against her, in her child form. The Manakete didn’t know much, but she knew she could always count on her mother to comfort her in her dreams, it was one of the reasons she slept so much.  
“Mother, I missed you. I couldn’t sleep for several days, I’m sorry,” Tiki said, dropping every pretense of formality she carried in her waking hours.  
“I am sorry. I will do everything in my Divine Dragon power to make it easier for you to sleep, I promise,” Naga said, holding her daughter against her. Tiki wished her mother could really hold her, not just in her dreams. Though she knew she was truly speaking with Naga.  
“I have been having troubling thoughts, Mother. Rycalla said some things that made my mind race. All I could think about was Marth, how I should have made him mine when I had the chance. Nowi and I spoke of it, and I came to terms, but I still could not sleep.”  
Naga looked troubled. “Humans are strange. Many a Manakete has fallen for them, despite they are violent and short-lived. I know you still dream of the Hero-King, and I wish you could’ve had him for your own. Humans entertain me, I don’t know why. That was why I couldn’t let them fall to the Fell Dragon,” she said.  
“You’re upset.”  
“Because you’re upset.”  
“I am alone, Mother. My human friends will never understand what it is like to watch everyone you love grow old and die while you remain young, and the other Manaketes I do know are pretty much children. Nowi is no older than I was when I traveled with Mar-Ma…Marth. I cannot burden them with this. I have nobody around who knows what life is like for me,” Tiki said.   
“I know you are alone, my child. I was once alone too. And it became too much to bear, so I had you. I hoped we’d be together forever, able to watch and admire humanity, mother and daughter. But I did not anticipate your power to be what it is. I hated having to send you away nearly as soon as you were born. To never be able to hold my own hatchling, to simply watch as she grew up so far away from me. It still hurts my heart, deeper and more devastating every day as you continue to grow and learn from the humans,” Naga whispered.  
One word stuck, and Tiki actually smiled. “I’ll have to tell Rycalla about this, she asked. I didn’t know what to tell her,” she said, only the slightest bit happier. Then her sadness returned harder. “I am going to miss her questions when she’s gone.”  
“That is why your time with them is all the more precious.”  
“I know that better than any other Manakete. I still wish I had someone to watch the years with me. Nowi and Nah are likely to move on someday, either settle somewhere else with their mates or fly away somewhere. If I know other Manaketes they leave me. Bantu left, Nowi and Nah will leave. They’re already mated to humans, they won’t need me. And when their human mates die, they’ll likely just find others, or return to the lands the where other Manaketes live. Nah reminds me of a Fire Dragon herself. I don’t want to return to the Manaketes even if I crave their company. I’m a Divine Dragon and I’m your daughter, they’ll think I’m some kind of goddess. I’m like you, I don’t want to be worshipped. I suppose I am meant to be alone. No child came from the future for me. I am a three-thousand-year-old virgin, and I haven’t been in love for a long time,” Tiki said.  
“We are Divine Dragons. Being alone never stopped us from…” Naga began. She was probably going to say more, but she was cut off as Tiki felt something heavy land on her and awaken her.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Tiki awoke with a start. The younger Lucina and Morgan were playing, and Morgan was trying to show off for his sister. Trying to jump over the vicious dragon, but ended up tripping and landing right on top of her.  
“Morgan! What has your mother told you about playing in here like this? You’ll get hurt, or your sister will get hurt. And Lucina is supposed to grow up into quite a fine young woman, you know this. She’s impressionable. Set a good example. And you’re with Nah, prove yourself worthy of a Manakete,” Tiki snapped. Morgan got off and picked up his sister.  
“I’m sorry Lady Tiki. We were just playing. I was trying to jump over you, but I tripped,” Morgan said.  
“I don’t want you to play that game again, you hear me? I’m going to tell your mother. I just finally got to sleep after a long time, and I was having a nice dream. And Lucina should be learning how to be a big girl. I have a suspicion your mother is going to have you sometime soon,” Tiki said, sitting up and stretching out. She hoped she’d be able to get back to sleep later. Naga had promised she’d help her. “C’mon, Morgan, let’s go find your parents and we can all get something to eat. I’m starved, have to keep my strength up, have to keep healthy. All of us do,”   
As Tiki walked with Morgan and Lucina, she kept wondering what her mother was going to say to her before Morgan woke her up. She’d have to ask her next time they spoke. Though she could hear Naga’s voice any time, the only time they really had such deep conversations was in her dreams like that. She also felt sick to her stomach, but she was so hungry she just had to eat something. Even if it was bones.  
Bones?! Tiki didn’t know where that idea popped into her head, but it was there. She had never even imagined eating bones before. Was it her dragon heat? She had been in heat many times, but she had never thought of such thing before. And none of the other Manaketes she had known had ever mentioned such a strange desire. What would her friends think of her if they caught her eating animal bones?


	4. Chapter 4

Even after eating, Tiki still didn’t feel well, and she still wanted to eat bones, but she had resisted that all morning. She hoped Rycalla or someone would cook some bird meat or something, so she could have a leg, maybe sneak away with the bone when she was done with the meat, eat it in private. Some of the others noticed the Manakete didn’t look well, but Morgan told them she said she was sick.  
Tiki waited until after breakfast to approach Nowi, see if the younger Manakete knew anything. Though Tiki usually was the one to know things, Nowi had lived with the other Manaketes and knew about them. Being raised away from one’s own kind had its disadvantages.   
Nowi was playing with a returning ball toy Henry had made for her. She liked throwing things, but she didn’t like having to retrieve them, so this was a natural choice for a good toy. Despite being almost as dark and disturbing as Tharja, Henry was nice to Nowi and he clearly loved her very much. He always went out of his way to make her happy, to enchant things just for her, to play with her. Their love could put Chrom and Rycalla to shame, at least Tiki thought so. She enjoyed seeing her fellow Manakete so happy.  
“Look what I’ve got! Henry calls it a boomerang ball, ‘cause it returns to me. He does so much for Nowi,” The younger Manakete said when she saw Tiki.  
“He certainly treats you well,” Tiki said.  
“Did you get to sleep last night?”  
“Oh yes, I slept quite well. I spoke to Naga.”  
That interested Nowi. “Naga? What’s she like in person? I mean, I’m a Divine Dragon too, but I don’t really know much about her. Nah claims she talks to her sometimes, but not like you can,” she said.  
“Naga is my mother, I have to have a deep connection to her. It’s hard to explain what she’s like. I suppose she’s like me. She always says I take after her a lot. I know I look like her, but I don’t see otherwise, but she’s wiser than me. She can see it. Maybe if you listen hard enough, you’ll be able to hear her too someday,” Tiki said.  
“I wish Nah took after me. She looks more like her father, I think, but I just don’t know where that personality came from.”  
“I don’t have a father, at least that I know of. Every time I’ve asked my mother, she’s avoided the subject. I have something to ask though. You know about Manaketes. Have you ever heard of one of us wanting to eat bones?” Tiki asked.  
“Bones? Like, animal bones?”   
“Yes.”  
“Yeah, I’ve heard of it. One of the Ice Dragons I knew was going to have an egg, and she ate bones. She said it was a calcium issue, so she could produce a strong eggshell for her child, so I asked my mother about it and she said it’s what happens. Who wants to eat bones? The humans don’t lay eggs, and you can’t because you don’t have a mate,” Nowi said.  
“It’s me. I’ve been thinking about it all morning. Could there be any other reason I would want to eat bones? You’re right, I’m a virgin, and so I can’t lay eggs. And about that? It actually happens? Rycalla actually asked me about that, she should’ve gone to you. You seem to know more than I know. I didn’t know we actually do lay eggs,” Tiki said.  
“Yes, that’s how Manaketes reproduce, even though we have problems. Why should it matter? We take human form, but we’re dragons inside. Everything about us is dragon. Tell Rycalla if she really wants to know she has to research dragons with books, not to ask you. She’s the queen. She has access to the royal library and it has to have books on dragons.”  
“I don’t know about that. Morgan seemed to think I had a hoard when he read a dragon book. I told him that was Fire Dragons, but I don’t know what other kind of misinformation he’s picked up from that book. If he’s ever going to marry your daughter, he needs to know actual things about Manaketes.”  
“About you eating bones though…maybe you’re having a false pregnancy. I don’t know if that can happen, but that’s the only thing I can think. Your body thinks you need the calcium and all. Maybe you’ll even have an infertile egg, like those birds the humans keep that lay the eggs all the time and they eat them. Chickens, that’s what they’re called if I remember correctly. Donnel told me all about farm animals once but I don’t remember much.”   
Tiki was even more bothered now. She knew she’d have to get herself checked, see what was really wrong with her. She doubted Lissa or Maribelle knew much about Manaketes, she hoped she was human enough they’d be able to tell if anything was going on. She decided she’d sleep on it, and see if Maribelle would help her later, but first she had to find a way to find a bone to eat. Did anyone around have a dog? She didn’t want to kill an animal, and stealing from a dog wasn’t appealing either, but those were her choices if she didn’t want to suffer for a long time.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I just realized exactly how much of this I've actually screwed up...whatever.

Tiki had no trouble falling asleep this time. All she had to do was curl up like normal and fell right asleep. She’d see to getting herself checked out and dealing with her cravings later, but she needed a nap. She didn’t have a Naga dream, but then again she didn’t always. It almost disappointed her. She wanted to ask her mother if she knew what was wrong with her.  
Rycalla came by only to put a blanket on the Manakete and seem pleased that she was sleeping again. She’d have to put up with Tharja for a while for the spell, but Tiki obviously didn’t need it more than once. Rycalla hoped she’d never need it again, for her own sake and for the fact that the young woman didn’t want to end up hexed every time the Manakete couldn’t sleep. Last time Tharja had cast spells on her she had ended up with a dog’s tail for three days; not the intended results but the witch still found it funny.  
Nowi had gone and told Rycalla what Tiki had told her. Tiki hadn’t told her to keep it between them and it bothered her so much she had to alert the leader of the group to her problems. Rycalla was worried about the Manakete, and she had asked Maribelle if she’d mind taking a look at Tiki once she woke up.  
“I know little to nothing about Manaketes. I don’t think any human does. I don’t want to do something wrong and hurt her worse…or make her mad. I would rather not get eaten. Maybe there is a book in the library? I’d feel much better examining her if I knew what afflicted Manaketes,” Maribelle said.  
“Nowi says she thinks Tiki is having a false pregnancy, but I don’t know,” Rycalla said, “and as for the book, I’ll have Chrom take a look. I’d do it myself, but I have to keep an eye on Morgan. He’s been acting up quite a bit lately. Mostly just playing with his sister, but I don’t want him to hurt anyone in the process. He fell on Lady Tiki earlier and she was pretty upset.”  
“I’ll see what I can do.”  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Tiki woke up much later in a slightly better mood. She still wanted bones, but she thought about it and wondered if milk would suffice. She thought about asking Donnel if she could borrow one of his family’s cows. She had to make sure to promise not to eat it.  
But before she could go ask Donnel anything, she still had to see Maribelle though. She simply had to know what was wrong with herself. She figured Nowi had told someone about the bone lust, maybe even the healer herself. That’s what she had counted on. She didn’t know how she’d approach Maribelle herself. After Anna had gone to Rycalla complaining that the bad dragon wanted to eat her (and Tiki knew she should’ve done it. Somehow there were multiple Annas just like her), everyone was afraid of her.  
Rycalla was laying against a wall reading through a book with a drawing of a dragon on the cover. She wasn’t afraid of Tiki, even though the Manakete thought that was foolish. She had problems with Rycalla, and sometimes she thought about eating her too, simply because of her annoying questions.  
“Hey, you. Nowi told me you’re not holding up so well,” Rycalla said, looking up from her book for a second.  
“I do feel under the weather. Are Lissa or Maribelle around? Brady, maybe even?” Tiki asked.  
“Yeah, I felt bad when Nowi told me you were sick, so I kinda asked Maribelle to see if she could do anything for you, so she should be in her room,” Rycalla said.  
“Thank you. I will go and find her.”  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Tiki found Maribelle very easily, and allowed the other woman to examine her, but ended up falling asleep again almost immediately. And she found herself in the dark corridor again. Good, Tiki thought to herself, now I can ask my mother what she was about to say last time before Morgan interrupted her. She also knew Naga knew what was wrong with her though, and decided to ask about that first.  
“Mother, I fear there is something wrong with me. I don’t feel well, and I want to eat bones. I’m not sure a human will know what is wrong with me, but you do. You know everything,” Tiki said.  
“I only gave you what you wanted,” Naga said.  
“What are you talking about? That has nothing to do with why I want to eat bones.”  
“You should have figured it out by now.”  
“All I’ve heard is Nowi thinks I’m having a false pregnancy, and I have one of the humans checking me right now, but I don’t think she can help. Humans don’t know enough about Manaketes.”  
Naga smiled. “Who said anything about false pregnancy? I told you, I gave you what you wanted. And you didn’t want to be alone, so I made it so you will never be alone again, even if the other Manaketes move on someday,” she said.  
“How can I be pregnant for real? I’m a virgin!” Tiki cried, instantly forgetting anything else Naga could have to say.  
“So am I, but we’re Divine Dragons. It’s how I had you. Aren’t you happy? I just wanted you to be happy.”  
“Mother, you’re too much, but I thank you,” Tiki said.  
Tiki woke up a few minutes later on her bed, Maribelle was done looking at her, but she seemed curious. She was writing something down.  
“Dear, there’s nothing physically wrong with you. I think Nowi is right about you. If you weren’t a virgin, I’d think you were carrying eggs or however Manaketes reproduce,” Maribelle said, “I’m sorry, I was hoping I could give you an answer.”  
“It’s okay,..I have my answer,” Tiki said.


	6. Chapter 6

Even knowing her condition, Tiki was troubled. She still had a need to eat bones, and now she knew there was really no choice in the matter if she wanted her offspring to survive. And there was no question she wanted that. She simply had to get the calcium. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a problem if she just asked Rycalla for chicken bones after dinner. She would eventually have to tell everyone about her pregnancy anyway. What harm would it be if Rycalla knew, so long as she kept it to herself for the time being? Of course, Rycalla didn’t keep anything from Chrom, and especially not something she’d find this exciting.  
The Manakete was worried about other things too. She was a virgin, she didn’t know if she could actually have an egg without it getting stuck in her narrow birth canal and killing them both. She figured Naga wouldn’t have let it happen if she wasn’t capable, but she was never sure what the Divine Dragon intended, even if she did speak to her constantly. There was too much Naga wouldn’t tell her, and what she did…some of it Tiki was sure wasn’t the whole truth. The way Naga would react when Tiki would ask about her father, for example. Naga couldn’t have just virgin birthed her, it was just too convenient an excuse.  
Tiki remembered that Kjelle sometimes kept chicken and cow bones in her pack, she used them for stock when she’d try to cook. Would it really hurt if Tiki ate some of them, especially if her child needed them to be born? Would Kjelle even miss them? The Manakete didn’t like stealing from her friends, but she absolutely needed the bones.  
The dragon woman sneaked into Kjelle’s room while she was sure the other girl was out and took as many of the bones as she could take. Her hunger was incredible, she had never felt anything like this before. She started eating as much as she could, but it just wouldn’t stop. She ate every bone and ran outside, ashamed of herself. She had always controlled herself before. She didn’t know what to do with herself. She was also going to have to find more bones.   
Nowi saw Tiki go outside, and she followed, just watching her. She had heard it was painful, but she didn’t know it would be this bad. She felt bad for the older Manakete, and hoped it wouldn’t be so bad when she herself got pregnant.   
“Tiki?” Nowi asked, going over to her.  
“This is impossible. This has to be why we don’t usually reproduce! I just ate every bone we use for stock, and I still want more,” The other Manakete ranted.  
“And you’re just having a false pregnancy. Sheesh,” Nowi said.  
“Nowi, can you keep things to yourself? It’s not false. I…I really am pregnant. Naga said so. She did something, she told me so herself. I told her I was alone, and she decided to do this to me. I mean it, please don’t tell anyone else. That’s my job,” Tiki told her.  
“Really? That is so cool! Are you excited?” Nowi exclaimed excitedly.  
“Kind of hard not to be. But it’s something none of us ever expected, even though it isn’t as though I’ve never thought about it if I were to ever get married. And already it isn’t easy. I just ate all the bones Kjelle has been using for soup stock. And I still need more,” Tiki said.  
“You could fly out to the desert. Exposed bones, big ones. Way more than enough for you to eat. I don’t even think they’re dragon bones…that would be wrong, wouldn’t it? I mean, we’re dragons. Cannibalism,” Nowi said.  
“That’s a good idea, Nowi. Maybe I will. Are you certain they’re not dragon bones?”  
“I’m sure there’s some that aren’t dragon bones…or you could just eat Anna.”  
“I really wish she wouldn’t have gone and done what she did. Foolish girl. And then go to Rycalla about it so now everyone is afraid of me.”  
“Hey, so you’re gonna have a baby without a dad? What you gonna tell her when she asks about that?”  
“The truth.”  
Nowi smiled. “You’re so cool,” she said.  
“It’s Naga you should be praising. She’s the one who thought it would be a good idea to damage my body and mind like this. Would you like to travel out to the desert with me? I don’t want to be alone, especially not in my condition, and I don’t want to tell anyone else about my baby yet,” Tiki said. She looked skyward and thought, I’m not being serious Mother, don’t be mad at me. I’m happy, really.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Rycalla noticed the Manaketes were gone the next morning, but she didn’t have much time to think about it. Tiki and Nowi could more than take care of themselves, and besides, she had an obligation to amuse Tharja for a few hours. She hoped the witch would go into labour and thus not be able to hex her for a few days, but that wasn’t likely to happen for at least another month.  
Otherwise, nobody else seemed to have any problems. Kjelle was yelling about somebody going through her things, but Rycalla came to the conclusion it had to be Morgan or someone pulling a prank they wouldn’t admit to, even though the only things missing were all the beef and chicken bones she had kept that Donnel had brought her from his farm because was going to use to try and make soup stock.  
“Did I do wrong? Is that why the Manaketes ran away?” Morgan asked his mother.  
“I doubt they ran away forever. Nowi left without telling Henry and Nah, she’ll be back. As for Lady Tiki, she’s always got things on her agenda. Best not to ask. Probably Naga-related, but I’m not sure. She’s not been feeling well so maybe she’s just going out somewhere to get some air or something and Nowi went with her because she didn’t want her to be alone,” Rycalla said.


	7. Chapter 7

Nowi watched Tiki eat the exposed bones in the desert, amazed that anyone could do that, at least without breaking her teeth. She wasn’t just gnawing them, she was taking big pieces and eating them, and she wasn’t even dragon form.  
“That’s got to be unpleasant,” Nowi said.  
“They’re tasteless, but I feel much better. Just a little longer and we can go home. Almost done. We’ll need to turn dragon and dig more of these, carry some back with us. We will need them back home. I know it. I mean, you’ll need them when you’re gonna have a dragon chick,” Tiki said once she had consumed a whole giant rib from some creature.  
“That can’t be too long from now either. So Tiki…been meaning to ask…are you sure you’re okay about this? I mean, no child ever came from the future from you, are you sure there’s nothing wrong with that?” Nowi asked.  
“Rycalla changed the future to begin with. Lucina said I was one of the first killed when Grima attacked. Perhaps I was pregnant in that reality. All I know is my mother loves me and doesn’t want me to be alone again,” Tiki said.  
“Nah and I aren’t going anywhere, Tiki. We’re gonna stay with you forever. You and your child can come with us when I go to find my family. You’re like family to me, maybe a big sister,” Nowi said. Tiki turned into a dragon and dug out the rest of the skeleton.  
Tiki said.  
“Yeah, hang on. There’s sand in my eyes. Gotta get it out,” Nowi said.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Upon returning home, Nowi found Henry and Nah and began whispering to them. Tiki hoped she would keep her secret, even from them. She herself was planning how to tell everyone, she knew she’d have to. It just seemed awkward, even though nearly every other girl (aside from a few, like Anna) was either pregnant themselves or had just had a child.  
Tiki herself was satisfied and tired. She hadn’t slept since she had gone out, and she needed her nap. She especially needed to take care of herself now, and as content as she was she wouldn’t have any problem sleeping all day. She fell asleep almost immediately for a few hours, and dreamed about Marth. She used to be plagued by nightmares, but after she met her Mar-Mar, it never happened again.  
When she woke up, she found herself looking into Nowi’s eyes. The other Manakete was lying next to her, a big smile on her face.  
“Hi. You missed the best part of the day. I told Henry if he gave Nowi his peanuts, I’d let him ride on my back. And he gave me them so we spent a half hour flying around!” Nowi cried happily.  
“I used to talk like you too, but I’m not into peanuts,” Tiki said.  
“Yeah, you just want to eat bones all day,” Nowi said, teasing.  
“You know exactly why I’ve been eating bones, and you better not have told anyone. That includes your daughter and your husband.”  
“Nowi won’t tell! Just wanted the peanuts from Henry, that’s all. Can keep a secret!” Nowi yelled.  
“Don’t do that. Someone might overhear, and that’s almost as bad as you telling someone about my chick,” Tiki said quietly.  
“You done sleeping now? Want to play?”  
“I already told you, I don’t play anymore.”  
“You’re gonna have to learn how to play again. You’re going to have a baby, and she’ll want to play.”  
“Someday. Chicks take a while to be able to do anything, you should know.”  
“Nah got big faster than a Manakete should.”  
“She’s also half human. The little tiny chick in my tummy is fully Manakete, so she’ll mature slower” Tiki said, rubbing her belly. Nowi cuddled against her. “It’s only been a few days, but I have such high hopes. Naga has given me something I never thought I could have, and I love her for it. My mother loves me, and I love my baby already.”  
“What are you going to call her? It is going to be a her, right? I mean, you’re a girl, and there’s no male involved, so it has to be a girl, doesn’t it?” Nowi asked.  
“Nowi, you have got to be kidding me. I didn’t even know I was having a child until last night. Of course I haven’t thought of names yet. But yes, it is going to be a girl. Naga told me so, and I’m delighted,” Tiki said.  
“You’re going to have such a cute little Manakete, I just know it,” Nowi said.  
“We should get up and do something. I had a glorious nap, and I feel up for some action. Maybe acquire some dragon treats, that sounds good,” Tiki said. She got up and stretched out, ready to do something. Nowi looked at her, smiling, but she got up too.  
“Yeah, I should go find Henry later too. He promised me we’d play together. It’s called ‘Give Nowi Manakete Kids’. It’s a great game, we play almost every day. We haven’t won yet, but we will, we know it,” Nowi said.  
“Sounds like a fun game, I hope you win soon. We could raise our chicks together. Come on, let’s go find something to do. Maybe we can find some Risen to destroy, hone our skills, Rarrrr!” Tiki said. There were times when she acted as much like a child as Nowi, and this was one of those.   
“I dunno. Rycalla probably doesn’t feel up to fighting today. Have you seen what Tharja did to her earlier? She’s mad as heck at that witch, and she just wants to wait it out,” Nowi said.


	8. Chapter 8

It was two months before Tiki noticed anything, but at that point it was just a little bump. She still hadn’t told anyone about her chick, even though she thought about it all the time. Everyone had other things to think about, even Rycalla. Tharja had made her Noire’s godmother or something, but the tactician still didn’t want anything to do with the witch. She had just recovered from the last time Tharja had hexed her. At least she hadn’t ended up with a tail this time. Tiki thought it was rather ridiculous, but nothing she had never seen before. Humans were different.  
Rycalla staggered into the barracks and threw herself down on a bed, completely drained. Tharja just wouldn’t leave her alone until Chrom had told her to go do something so his wife could rest. Tiki was lying on her own bed, just relaxing, and was very concerned to see the other woman in such a state.  
“Rycalla?” Tiki asked, going over to check on the pink-haired woman. Rycalla looked pathetic, very unbecoming of her, but she didn’t care. Tiki had to do something, so she got on the bed with her and held her. She hoped Chrom would come help her, he couldn’t leave his wife like this. “You want to talk to me?”  
“Tharja…she’s just too much. I thought having a child would slow her down,” Rycalla said.   
Tiki felt bad for the other woman and made a decision. “Want to know a secret?” The Manakete asked. She took Calla’s hands and rested them on her belly.   
“What are you doing?”  
“Letting you feel something. I haven’t told anyone else but Nowi. Feel that little bump?” Tiki asked.  
Rycalla’s eyes opened wide. “Are you going to have a child, Tiki?” she asked.  
“Mm-hmm. Naga gave me a gift because I’m lonely, and maybe because I’m a good little dragon too. I’m going to have an egg, you were right about us. You’re my friend, I wanted you to know before everyone else, except for Nowi but she’s a Manakete too so she deserved to know first. I’m gonna tell the rest soon,” Tiki said, Rycalla gently rubbing her tummy.  
“Is this why you’ve been so distant lately? You’ve seemed to be off in your own little world, and I worried about you, but I didn’t want to ask. You seemed so offended last time I asked questions,” Rycalla whispered. “How on earth are you having a baby? You’re a virgin, aren’t you?”  
“Yes, but I’m Naga’s daughter. I told you, she gave me a gift. That’s how I’m carrying an egg,” Tiki hissed.  
“Okay, I’m sorry. Asking questions again. Just one more though. Don’t eat me over this. Aren’t you excited about this?” Rycalla asked.  
“I’m happy, but I’m worried too. I was supposed to be the last of the Divine Dragons. This is changing everything. And I’m narrow. I don’t know if I can handle bearing an egg. And even then, I don’t know how to take care of a dragon chick,” Tiki said.  
“We’re your friends. We’ll always help you, Tiki,” Chrom said, overhearing as he came in. Tiki nodded, it was okay that he knew. He was Rycalla’s mate and the ruler of Ylisse after all. He joined the dragon and the tactician on the bed.  
“He’s right. We’ll pull you through, and you’re gonna look so cute all round and full of life!” Rycalla exclaimed, hugging Tiki. The Manakete didn’t particularly like it, but she wasn’t going to do anything about it, she just fell asleep again.  
“Well, that’s just great. Chrom, can you get her back on her bed? I can’t really move, and I don’t want to wake her up,” Rycalla said.  
“Is it safe to move her?” Chrom asked.  
“It’s fine, Mar-Mar…” Tiki muttered in her sleep.  
“She can’t be that far along, and she isn’t heavy or anything. Just be careful with her,” Rycalla said.  
“I know. I don’t know I’d live with myself if I hurt her,” Chrom said, picking Tiki up carefully and moving her over to her bed. The Manakete looked really content, and Chrom laid down with Rycalla on her bed.  
“Not tonight. Tharja did a real number on me and even so. Tiki is right there, even if she is having a nap again,” Rycalla said. “I just never expected this from her. I mean, we know about Nowi and all, but Tiki? She’s out of her mind, I can tell. She’s downright terrified.”  
“Yeah, I heard that part from her. Tiki knows how to take care of herself, though. I wouldn’t worry too much about her. I hope she knows she can come to us for anything, though. We’ll be here for her and her child,” Chrom said.  
“I don’t know if she should be too afraid though. I doubt Naga would deliberately let anything bad happen to her beloved daughter, even if Tiki is a virgin. She’ll be fine. None of us have had really any trouble, and Maribelle is an experienced midwife now, ever since we all started having children. My book didn’t really have any useful information. Manaketes reproduce so infrequently, there was little to no information about that. I guess we just have to wait to find out. The only thing I found even close was the fact that they come in heat like animals every fifty or so years,” Rycalla said, she was looking to go to sleep herself. Sleep off the spell cast on her.  
Chrom curled up with his wife, and the pair fell asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the dragon lore I've read has called their young "chicks", that's why I use it.

Tiki slept easy enough after she had finally told everyone about her child, even though the way some of the group had acted really bothered her (Tharja really wanted to hex the chick and Tiki told her if she even tried, she’d have to eat the witch). Nah wanted to do something special for her, but she didn’t know what. Say’ri had hugged her, which was strange for her. The princess was not like that, nobody expected that, especially not the Manakete. Lissa asked who the father was, and Tiki told her the truth, but she didn’t buy that.  
“You can tell me, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. All those times you disappeared, you were out with a Manakete boyfriend, weren’t you? We don’t care about that. It’s cool with us. Another Manakete around would always be nice,” Lissa said.  
“I already told you how it happened, please just believe me,” Tiki said.  
“I can’t believe you, I’m sorry. I’d like to, but babies don’t just happen, even if you’re a dragon…do they?”  
“I’m a Divine Dragon, and I’m Naga’s daughter. Things work a little different for me, because my mother likes to intervene sometimes. She can do almost anything, you know.”  
Lissa seemed to finally accept Tiki’s response. “How long will it be?” She asked.  
“At the very least, another year. At least I think so. If I remember correctly, the usual gestation is rather long, but once we’ve laid the egg it takes a few more weeks to hatch. That’s what I’ve been told. Ask Nowi, she actually remembers more about Manaketes than I do,” Tiki said.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Tiki had a Naga dream that night, which always made her feel better. She hoped her baby would recognize Naga, considering. Naga held her, comforting her again, like she always did.  
“Mother, I am happy,” Tiki purred.  
Naga smiled. “I am glad I could make you happy,” she said.  
“I am afraid though,” Tiki said.  
“Yes. I know. Know this though, I would never make you do anything I didn’t think you could do. I love you, you are my chick. It will be difficult, but you will make it through. I’m a virgin too. I conceived you from my own power, don’t you know this? Your chick will be strong, like you,” Naga said, rubbing her daughter’s tummy.  
“Did it hurt? I mean, birthing an egg while still being a virgin?” Tiki asked.  
“Yes. It hurts either way, dear daughter. I am not immune to pain, though being a Divine Dragon, but it did not hurt as much as it hurt to leave you with Gotoh; and if not for fear of it happening again, I would’ve had more children,” Naga replied.  
“Are you sure I can do this?”  
“I know you can. I know your limitations. I told you, if I didn’t think you could handle it, I never would’ve done it. It will hurt, and it will not be easy, but I know you can do it. And you will love your little Manakete and not know how you ever got by without her. Just trust me. I only do what is right for you.”  
“Some of the humans have been bothering me. They know you have great powers, but they didn’t think you could do this.”  
“Of course I can. It’s actually quite simple. It’s how you were born, after all,” Naga said, still holding her daughter tight.  
“I know very little about chicks,” Tiki said.  
“You have great instincts, little Tiki. You will be a fine mother. You have my power inside you, you are strong and brilliant. I know you will take wonderful care of your daughter. When the time comes, you will know what to do,” Naga said.  
“To think I’m going to bear the first Divine Dragon born in over a thousand years. And a pure Manakete at that. I know Nowi will have at least one half-Manakete, but there are so few purebloods,” Tiki said, placing her hand over Naga’s on her belly. “I’m gonna have to get myself a few cute little outfits when I get bigger. Maybe Lissa or Cordelia can help me find something, but I think Nowi would have to come along too. They’d find me cute clothes, but Nowi knows better what would look good on a Manakete, especially a pregnant one.”  
“You’re excited.”  
“Of course I’m excited! I also remember when I was little and Mar-Mar got married to Caeda, I told them I hoped they’d have lots of kids, because I was planning to eventually have some little dragons for their kids to play with. Morgan and Lucina and Owain are descended from Mar-Mar, so it’s almost like I kept my word. Almost.”  
“Just two thousand years too late. But you were in heat, so you said lots of things you didn’t mean. We get bad when we’re like that, especially when we’re so young. I believe you also tried to mate with that Fire Dragon friend of yours at least once during that cycle.”  
“Mother, don’t remind me of that. You don’t need to scold me for something I did when I was practically a chick myself. It was my first heat cycle, and we didn’t actually do anything. Ban-Ban knew I wasn’t in my right mind, and he avoided me after that. I wish he were around though. He’d help me take care of myself and my baby once it’s born. He was like an uncle to me. You’re the only family I’ve got, and though I can always talk to you and I love you and I know you love me, it’s not the same as having someone actually with me. I don’t even have a mate. The only other Manaketes I know are chicks who would rather fight each other than anything. And they’re both female! Who will hold my hand as I deliver my egg?” Tiki cried.  
“Please, calm down. That’s not good for you, and what isn’t good for you isn’t good for the child. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to either of you,” Naga said.  
“Don’t fret Mother. Nothing is going to happen to this chick. Not as long as I’m alive. I will protect her no matter what,” Tiki said.


	10. Chapter 10

The next four months of Tiki’s pregnancy went by peacefully and happily. The Manakete took care of herself, she hardly had any issues with morning sickness (there was a little at first, but it had stopped by this point) and everyone else was so happy for her, especially Say’ri. The princess had taken it upon herself to make sure Tiki had everything she could want. Tiki wondered if maybe Say’ri loved her. Manaketes lived long, they could have multiple lovers, and though she knew she wasn’t actually a lesbian, Tiki did think it might be okay for her to marry a human someday, even if she did marry a woman. Say’ri would certainly help take care of Tiki’s chick, she already pretty much did.  
“Lady Tiki, are you content?” Say’ri asked the Manakete. Tiki was just looking for something to eat.  
“Oh yes, quite well, thank you. I am just hungry,” Tiki said.  
“Do not tax yourself. Please, sit down. I will fetch something for you to eat!” Say’ri exclaimed.   
Tiki grabbed her arm. “You do not need to worry so much about me. I am perfectly capable of finding food. I am not weak, I do not need you to take such good care of me. You do enough. I need to move around. I know you are concerned for me, and I thank you, but I can still do most things for myself,” she said.  
“Lady Tiki, you don’t have to prove anything to us. Please, allow me to care for you while you nurture precious new life in your womb,” Say’ri said.  
Tiki was starting to get annoyed. “Say’ri, listen to me! I know how to take care of myself! You do NOT need to wait on me hand and foot. My child is fine! I felt her move inside me this morning!” she snapped. Then she softened. “If you would like, I will let you feel my tummy. Though my baby is inside an egg, I can still feel her move sometimes.”  
“You need to eat,” Say’ri insisted.  
“Not this minute. I just need a small snack. I’m not too hungry. Come here and place your hands flat on my belly,” Tiki said sweetly. Say’ri placed her hands on Tiki’s growing belly and rubbed gently. The Manakete closed her eyes in contentment.  
“You’re so warm,” Say’ri said, continuing to caress the Manakete.  
“Mm-hmm. Dragons is warm-blooded, so Tiki is very warm, and her little chicky stays nice and warm in her tummy,” Tiki purred.  
“Don’t talk like that. You’re noble. Talking like a child bothers me,” Say’ri said.  
“Why?”  
“You’re a grown woman. I can understand it from Nowi, but for someone your age it just sounds wrong.”  
“I like talking like that. Sometimes I still feel like a child.”  
“You’re not a child, you’re going to have a child. And you’re a Divine Dragon, you should be proud of that noble heritage,” Say’ri said, dropping to her knees.  
“What are you doing now?” Tiki asked as Say’ri rested her head against her round middle. “I can make that easier.” Tiki sat down against the wall and Say’ri moved to her.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Nowi and Nah were getting everything ready. They had planned a surprise for Tiki and had spent a long time getting it just right. It was Nah’s idea. Once they were done, they sat and gazed at their handiwork.  
“I sure hope Lady Tiki like this,” Nah said.   
“Of course she will! Tiki is going to be the happiest mommy in the world…at least until I have you! Then I’ll be happier!” Nowi exclaimed.  
The two Manaketes had dug out a wall and built a warm nest for Tiki, lined with feathers and had bought her some new blankets. They had made sure it would be nice and comfortable. Nowi decided she wouldn’t mind sleeping there herself. Maybe Tiki would let her use it when she had Nah.  
“I worry she’ll be upset that we built it here, not at her tree. Are you sure she’ll be comfortable?” Nah asked.  
“This was your idea, Nah. And don’t worry! Tiki will love it. All nice and warm and soft for her and her baby. She can curl up here and sleep all she wants,” Nowi said.  
“I hope nobody else minds that we dug a hole into the wall for this.”  
“What’s to worry? It’s a perfectly normal dragon cave now! Where’d you get the feathers?”  
“I asked Donnel for chicken feathers. Morgan gave me the idea to use them. They seemed to keep the chickens warm, so he figured they could keep anything cozy. It’s a nice nest. Do you think I’ll lay eggs when Morgan and I have children?” Nah asked.  
“I’m not sure. You’re half human. Maybe you’ll just have babies like they do. We just have to wait and find out,” Nowi said. “Want me to go find Tiki? We have to show her! I can’t wait to see her face when she sees what we did!”  
“I’ll come with,” Nah said.  
The two found Tiki out in the common room, resting against a wall, and Say’ri kissing and caressing her belly. Say’ri noticed the other two Manaketes first and backed away. Though she loved Tiki, she didn’t want anyone to really know yet. Tiki opened her eyes and looked at her friends.  
“You two look very pleased with yourselves,” Tiki said.  
“We made you something! You have to come see, you’ll love it!” Nowi cried delightedly. “Come on! We can’t tell you yet, it’s a secret!”  
Just then, they heard Sully yell: “The hell those Dragon idiots do to this closet? Please Rycalla, let me hit that damned Nowi a few times! I know she’s behind this! She’s the only one stupid enough to pull this!”  
“I think they saw Tiki’s surprise,” Nah whispered to her mother.  
“Oh my Naga, what did you do?” Tiki asked, getting to her feet and running off to the room. Say’ri and the two younger Manaketes followed, Nowi still looking ready to burst with excitement.  
The first thing Tiki noticed was a massive hole torn into the closet, and the whole closet cleared except for feathers everywhere. Sully was seething and Rycalla looked ready to start casting spells. Chrom didn’t look too happy either.  
“Oh, Naga…” Tiki said. She sat down on a bed, clutching her plump belly. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing.  
“Don’t you like it?” Nowi asked, concerned.  
“I think I’m gonna be sick,” Tiki moaned. Say’ri and Rycalla both sat down at her side and tried to comfort her.  
“But we made it just for you! It’s a dragon cave, nice and cozy! A safe place for you to be when your chick arrives. We worked really hard, Tiki, we thought you’d like it. And besides! It was Nah’s idea anyway!” Nowi yelped.  
“Hey! You’re the one who turned into a dragon and busted the wall down!” Nah shot back.  
“I’ll tell you what you two idiots made…” Sully began, but a look from Chrom shut her up.  
“Why didn’t you ask?” Chrom asked.  
“We wanted to surprise Tiki,” Nowi said.  
“It certainly is a surprise,” Tiki hissed.  
“Before you kill us or anything, why don’t you go in? It’s nice. Mother was in it earlier, she says it’s warm,” Nah said.  
“It really is! And it’s safe and private and comfortable. You can sleep in it all day!” Nowi cried.  
Tiki tried to get inside, more to humour the younger Manaketes than anything, moving feathers and bed sheets around more to her liking. The other dragons were right, it was warm. And comfortable. They had done a good job. Tiki curled up best she could on top of the feathers and fell fast asleep. Nowi went in and covered her with the new blankets. Tiki liked her present after all.


	11. Chapter 11

Tiki spent most of her time in her nest. Even though she didn’t like how Nowi and Nah had destroyed a good storage closet to build it for her, five more months passed. It still was a nice place to sleep. And it was big enough for more than just her. Nowi would often sleep in with her, and sometimes Rycalla or Say’ri or one of the others would come in too. Tiki only left to eat, or sometimes to go out and get some exercise. And Anna decided Tiki needed more in her nest.   
“Hey, Tiki! I could sell you some nice pillows for your nest, maybe,” Anna said.  
“Please go away, Anna. I’m quite comfortable as it is. I don’t need pillows, and I’m not looking to buy anything else,” Tiki said.  
“Oh, come on. I could get you all kinds of things for your child. You’ll need supplies,” Anna said.  
“Please leave. I don’t like you. You bother me.”  
“You don’t even have to buy anything even. I could come in there and rub your tummy for free.”  
“You come in my nest and you’re gonna be rubbing it from the inside!” Tiki hissed.  
“You wouldn’t seriously eat me just for something so petty, would you?”  
Tiki rolled onto her back and rubbed her temples, seriously annoyed with the merchant girl and getting a headache. “No, you’re right. Everything I eat right now I share with my chick, and I wouldn’t want to take the chance of her absorbing your stupidity. I’ll just have to kill you,” she said.  
“Tiki, I just want to make this whole pregnancy easier on you,” Anna said.  
“Then leave me alone. You’re just after monetary gain like always. If you truly cared about my chick you’d just give me what I need instead of charging me for it. I don’t have coins anyway, let me sleep Anna. Me being angry isn’t good for my baby either,” Tiki said.  
“Anna get out! You’re really testing your luck!” Nowi yelled. She had been sleeping in the nest curled up with Tiki.  
“Thank you,” Tiki said.  
“Nowi is not going to let anyone hurt her best dragon friend,” Nowi said, hugging Tiki.  
“Please don’t touch me right now.”  
Nowi got very concerned. “Are you okay, Tiki?”  
“Yes, just don’t be touching me. Why doesn’t Anna get the concept that I don’t like her constant need to try and peddle her wares to me? And I don’t know if I told you about what she did that one time…I was very close to eating her. There’s many of her, what’s the loss of one of them?”  
“That’s not nice, Tiki.”  
“If you had known what she did, you would’ve attacked her yourself,” Tiki said, rolling back onto her side.   
“Tiki not feeling well?” Nowi asked, just being her adorable self.  
“Just not feeling good about myself. I don’t know what Say’ri sees in me,” Tiki said.  
“Nowi thinks Tiki is cute.”  
“What are you talking about? I look awful. I can hardly fit in normal clothes, I can hardly eat, and it’s getting hard to walk anymore. I’m heavy. And I’m uncomfortable outside of my nest. My breasts have gotten bigger, but they’re always so tender and sore. At least I’m not sick,” Tiki said.  
“Is Tiki going to be a mommy soon?” Nowi asked.  
“There’s still some time, I think. Three or four more months. How about you? Have you and Henry won your game yet?”   
“Oh, Nowi forgot to tell Tiki! Nowi is gonna be a mommy too! We just won! Nowi needed bones too, that means she has an egg!”  
Tiki grinned. “Tiki is very happy to hear that. We’re two dragons with eggs in our tummies. That’s nice,” she said. “Oh my Naga, if Say’ri heard me talk like that…”  
“It’s okay if Tiki wants to talk like that. Manaketes is allowed to act like children even when they is big. Nowi does it. Say’ri loves Tiki very much, Nowi is sure of it,” Nowi said.   
“Did Tiki tell Nowi she found a good name for her chicky? But Tiki can’t tell Nowi. It’s a secret until she has her chicky,” Tiki said, drawing Nowi close and cuddling her.  
“What about not touching you?”   
“That was before I knew you were having an egg too. Does Nowi not want Tiki to hold her?”  
“Nowi loves Tiki very much too. Nowi loves Henry, but she sometimes wonders what it would be like to have Tiki for a mate,” Nowi said, laying back as much as she could.  
“Behave yourself Nowi!” Tiki snapped. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing from the younger dragon.  
“C’mon Tiki! Haven’t you thought of it at least once? I’ve thought about it, and I’m married already,” Nowi went right on. Tiki bared her teeth. “Don’t give me that look! I’m just kidding! C’mon Tiki, can’t you take a joke? I don’t want to lay with you. You’re my best dragon friend and pretty much my big sister.”  
“That wasn’t nice,” Tiki growled. She felt the egg shake slightly inside her, her chick moving. “Oh! Nowi, the baby is moving!” she placed her hand on her round middle, feeling the hardness that was the egg inside her womb.


	12. Chapter 12

Tiki laid on her back, Say’ri rubbing her feet. She was retaining fluid in her feet and she couldn’t wear her boots anymore, and they hurt like crazy. Nowi had wandered off to eat bones for the time being, but Say’ri would do anything for the Divine Dragon, especially with Tiki’s egg due any time now.  
Tiki decided she had to address something important. “Say’ri, dear, you don’t need to fear what the others might think about us,” she said.  
“What are you insinuating?” Say’ri asked.  
“I know you love me. I can see it. You show it all the time. I can feel how gentle you are, you want me to feel better. Yet, you seem to avoid me whenever anyone else is around,” Tiki said.  
“You’re right. I do love you, but it doesn’t matter. It would never work. I am a princess. I need to get married. But can you imagine the scandal if I were to marry not only a woman but a Manakete? And even if we got past that, there is the future to think about. I need to marry a man, I need to have children,” Say’ri said.  
“I am a princess too, Say’ri. I’m likeable enough and I don’t care what other people think, they’re just ignorant. It would take time, but we could make it work. My daughter could be your heiress, even if she isn’t your child. Would it be so wrong to place a Manakete in charge? I will live on for many more millennia, but you will not. Do you not wish to spend your short years happy, with someone you love very much? I care deeply for you, I have for a long time. I would like to be your wife someday, but for now I would like you to be with me when I have my egg. Would you hold my hand, comfort me maybe?” Tiki asked.  
“I would very much like that. I will be there, you can be assured,” Say’ri said softly. “Are you feeling any better?”  
“I don’t think it’s gonna stop hurting. I hate this. I’m so miserable.”  
“I knew it was unpleasant, but is it really that bad?”  
“Worse. My feet hurt, I want to eat constantly so I’ve gained more weight than just from the pregnancy, I can’t get comfortable easily, and I have terrible mood swings. At least I haven’t been sick much, but that’s just about the only upside to this and I still have a few weeks to go,” Tiki whined.  
“You’re so pretty still,” Say’ri said, planting a kiss on Tiki’s protruding belly, feeling a little quiver inside the Manakete. “Oh, hello little dragon. Can’t wait to meet you.”  
“She likes you too,” Tiki purred. Then she sighed. “But you’re wrong. I’m not pretty. I’m fat,” she said.  
“You’re beautiful, Tiki. Don’t ever think otherwise. Your emotions are just affected from the pregnancy. And you’re simply radiant. You’re a good friend and you’ll be a wonderful mother to that tiny Manakete you carry within you,” Say’ri said, petting the Manakete’s middle.  
Tiki sat up and pulled Say’ri against her, hugging her tight. “Stay with me, in my nest. Sleep next to me, care for me. I love you very much, Say-Say, just as much as I loved Mar-Mar,” she said.  
Say’ri kissed Tiki on the lips, something nobody had done before (even though Tiki used to wish Marth would kiss her). Tiki moaned against the other woman, then suddenly recoiled in pain and backed into a corner, clutching her belly.  
“Oh Naga! Say’ri…find me help,” Tiki whimpered, fear and pain taking over her mind.  
“Tiki! Are you going to be okay?” Say’ri asked, trying to hold the Manakete again. Tiki attempted to bite her when she came close. “What’s wrong with you?”  
“Say’ri, please go. Get me Maribelle and Nowi. I’m begging you. Rycalla and Chrom too. I think I had a contraction, please don’t take too long. I want you here, but I want them too. Hurry now,” Tiki said, tears in her eyes. The pain was incredible, she had never felt anything like it.  
“Alright, but you had better be okay,” Say’ri said before she ran off to find the others.  
Tiki curled up in the corner, undressing and covering herself with a blanket. She was very afraid. She didn’t know whether she’d be able to have the chick without problems. She hoped Say’ri came back with the others soon. She really hoped Nowi would be around.   
Tiki felt Naga’s comforting voice in her head. “My daughter, do not be afraid. I know you can do this. It will be long and painful, but you are strong, you can endure this. I will be with you through it all. Know that I never leave you, and especially not at this time.” She heard her mother say.   
“I know you are with me, Mother. And I know Mar-Mar and all my other friends are watching out for me too,” Tiki said out loud, her voice trembling. She had only had one contraction, but she knew the worst was coming. She didn’t even want to try to sleep for once. She laid there, warm under her blanket but still worried for her sake and for her little one. So much could go wrong, and if anything happened to her child, she wouldn’t be able to take it. She had carried that egg inside her for more than a year, she loved her baby, and she couldn’t stand the thoughts that ran through her mind. The Manakete rubbed her belly. “As for you, little one, you had better stay where you are until my friends arrive, you hear me?”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my God...this just took so long to write, and edit and all. At least it felt like a long time. I've never written a graphic birth scene before, and I hope this isn't an excuse to up the rating. I tried to keep it clean enough, but it's still very extreme.

Tiki waited for Say’ri to come back with the others, but every minute seemed so long, she was so afraid and the pain of her contractions was so intense. The Manakete was curled up in the corner still, hugging her blanket to her, anxiously awaiting her friends, worried she’d have to be alone.  
Nowi charged in, everyone else following behind her, Say’ri coming in last. “TIKI! Where are you? I thought you’d be okay for a few more weeks, honest I did! I shouldn’t have left you!” Nowi cried, frantic. She seemed terrified too, for the sake of her dragon friend. Tiki stared at her, her eyes glowing in the dark of the closet. “Are you going to be okay?”  
“Help,” Tiki whimpered, her hands on her belly. The egg hadn’t moved into her tight birth canal yet, but she was in severe pain.  
“You’re going to be fine,” Say’ri said, going to her friend and holding her. Tiki rested against her, breathing hard. Say’ri rubbed the Manakete’s shoulders, trying to calm her. “You’ll have a beautiful little egg, and soon it will hatch into a precious little Manakete baby.”  
Maribelle handed Chrom some towels and brought in a small tub of water. “Rycalla, cast Fire. I will need this water hot, but use the utmost care. Those feathers could easily catch fire, and that would be fatal to Lady Tiki,” she instructed.  
“She’s right…I’m not a Fire Dragon,” Tiki whined, sinking down until just her head was rested on Say’ri’s lap.  
“It would not be fatal. I would save you. If you are ever in danger, I will save you even at the cost of my own life, poor girl,” Say’ri said. Tiki was crying, in unbelievable pain. Maribelle knelt down in front of the Manakete and pulled back the blanket and checked her out. Tiki hissed as Maribelle put two of her fingers inside of her.  
“I love you, Say-Say,” Tiki murmured. “Maribelle, is that necessary?”  
“It is. I know what I’m doing, just trust me. It’s going to be a while yet, love,” Maribelle said, feeling around. “And it is absolutely not going to be easy. You’re narrow. You really weren’t lying when you said you are a virgin. Naga’s power truly must be great! Rycalla, have you done what I asked yet?”  
“Yes. What do I do now?” Rycalla asked, standing to a side. Nowi was sitting next to Say’ri, trying to help her calm Tiki down.  
“Just stand by and wait for instructions. I’m sure we will require your assistance again,” Maribelle said.  
“I bet she’d like some ice. I wish there was an ice spell you could cast,” Chrom said to his wife.  
“Yeah,” Rycalla agreed. “Or if we had an Ice Dragon around.”  
Tiki growled, feeling the egg push against her cervix. The Manakete had never felt so much pain, and her labour had just begun. How could she stand hours of this? Say’ri clasped her hand lovingly, the Manakete resting her head on her lap.  
“Get her some water,” Say’ri ordered. She had to help Tiki through this, she loved her, and she couldn’t leave her.  
Rycalla ran to get some water for the Manakete. Tiki felt her egg finally squeeze into her birth canal, stretching it more than she ever thought possible. She had never felt anything so painful, even the torture Gharnef inflicted on her when she was a child paled in comparison. She started screaming and just couldn’t stop. It was a good-sized egg and she was a virgin, not a good combination. Her contractions were still far enough apart she couldn’t do anything yet but lay there and suffer. She was in for a long night.  
“I’m dying, Say’ri! This egg is going to tear my nethers to pieces!” Tiki screamed.  
“Tiki, I promise you’ll make it. This will all be worth it when the chick is born,” Say’ri whispered, stroking Tiki’s hair, trying to soothe the Manakete. Tiki was restless, she tried to roll around several times, trying to force Maribelle’s fingers from inside her.  
“I’m going to tear, and bleed out. I will never see the chick!”   
“Lady Tiki, you’re not going to die. I am here in case you tear anything. I have healing spells so you won’t bleed out,” Maribelle said, finally feeling the slick eggshell, “but it does hurt incredibly, poor girl, especially since you are so small and tight. Please stop thrashing, this will go much faster if you keep still.”  
“Don’t scold her!” Say’ri snapped, glaring.  
“I’m not. I’m merely trying to help. I have had a child, I know what it is like,” Maribelle said, removing her fingers from the dragon girl’s nethers.  
Tiki growled. “You weren’t a virgin, and you’re not a Manakete. I’m having an egg! You don’t have an inkling of how I feel right now!” She roared. She felt the egg inching through her birth canal, but she wasn’t even near ready to push, and she just wanted to get it over with.  
Say’ri rubbed Tiki’s shoulders, “Easy girl. She’s just trying to make sure you’re okay,” she said calmly, clasping Tiki’s hand again.  
“I’m scared, Say-Say, and I hurt all over. The egg is bigger than I imagined, at least it feels that way. Naga tells me I’ll be okay, she said she wouldn’t have done this if I couldn’t take it, but sometimes I don’t know if I trust her,” Tiki whimpered. Her contractions were getting closer together, and they hurt worse even than before.  
“You’re gonna live, Tiki. You, more than anyone, should know to trust your mother. You’re The Voice and you’re her chick, you are important to her,” Nowi said.  
“I’m injured, and I think I’m gonna go mad, and I’m not even in dragon form. HOW CAN ANYONE DO THIS?! PARTICULARLY MORE THAN ONCE?!” Tiki bellowed. Rycalla ran in with the water, hearing Tiki screeching and knowing she needed it fast. The Manakete drank the whole glass slowly, but it didn’t help her much. Nothing would make her feel better at this point besides finally laying her egg. Blood was trickling from her vagina, and that led her to believe she had torn herself.   
“You’re not injured dear, you’re just bleeding. It’s what happens,” Maribelle said.  
“The egg isn’t moving. Oh Naga, it’s stuck, isn’t it?”   
Maribelle put her fingers back into Tiki. “Oh, it’s moving, I can feel it. It’s just slow because of your physical attributes. Just relax, and it will come,” she said. Once she was done feeling again, she took a washcloth and dipped it in the warm water and rubbed Tiki’s nethers with it, cleaning the blood from her. If Tiki wasn’t in blinding pain, she would’ve enjoyed that, but she couldn’t enjoy anything at this point.  
“I can’t do this. It’s too much!” Tiki screamed.  
Nowi turned Tiki’s head and looked her straight in the eyes. “Tiki, listen to me. You are the strongest person I know. Your own mother is afraid of your power. She did it, she had you. Probably alone. And you say she claimed to have virgin birthed you. If she can do it, you can, you’re stronger than her. If you don’t trust the humans trust me, another Manakete, another Divine Dragon! You’ll be fine, you can do this,” the other Manakete said.  
Another awful contraction hit, and Tiki finally felt the urge to push. She bore down, Say’ri trying to hold her though she hardly noticed, she was little more than a pure force of instinct and madness at this point. If she had had a Dragonstone, she would’ve turned and possibly killed everyone in the room. It just hurt too much. The egg pushed against her vagina, about to crown.   
“Good girl,” Say’ri kept saying over and over, rubbing Tiki’s shoulders again. Rycalla hugged Chrom and wouldn’t let go. Tiki’s opening widened, she was ready to finally lay her egg. Milk dripped from her breasts, soaking into the blanket.  
Tiki put all her strength into it. The egg crowned, it was pale blue and good-sized, despite being early. The Manakete spread her legs wide, trying anything to make it easier on herself.   
“It’s…blue,” Rycalla said.  
“My mom once told me Divine Dragon eggs always are blue,” Nowi said.  
“You’re doing splendidly, Tiki. Keep it up,” Maribelle said. Tiki reached down and felt the hard shell of the egg still mostly inside her. She knew her daughter was inside that egg, she couldn’t wait until the chick hatched, but first it had to be born from her.  
“Mar-Mar, watch over me! Mother Naga…aid me! Let me finally bear my offspring!” Tiki wailed, pushing hard.  
Nowi couldn’t take any more of it. She just about shoved Maribelle out of the way and got in front of Tiki. She couldn’t stand seeing the other Manakete in so much pain. She had to help her deliver the egg, even if it meant she had to pull it out of her.  
“What are you doing, Nowi?” Maribelle asked.  
“Just watch, make sure she doesn’t tear. I’m going to deliver her egg, and nobody try to stop me. Tiki needs me. She needs to get this egg out, and…oh my…really? Tiki, your mother is telling me how to do it. I hear her, Tiki, I hear Naga! Just like you and Nah can!” Nowi exclaimed. “C’mon Tiki…push hard. I know you can. Just needs to come out a little more and I can help. You can do it. You’re a big, strong dragon!”  
Tiki bore down and pushed with all her might, the egg sliding out just enough for Nowi to get ahold of it. The younger Manakete listened to what she had to do. She had to be careful, not to pull it out too hard or fast, or Tiki could prolapse, which would likely be fatal. Tiki still had to do most of the work, Nowi knew, but she could help it out easier.  
“You’ve got to keep pushing, okay? You push, and I’ll pull. We’ll do this together,” Nowi said.  
“Tired…can’t go on,” Tiki panted, nearing exhaustion.  
“I know, but you have to keep going! Naga is with you, you know that. Don’t you feel her? She knows you can have this egg!” Nowi cried. She was scared herself, not only for Tiki but for her own sake. If Tiki was having this kind of problem, what was she going to be like when she had Nah? She was even smaller and younger. She traced the small bump in her own belly, and turned her attention back to the matter at hand.  
“Are you sure you can help her Nowi?” Rycalla asked.  
“With Naga to guide me, nothing can possibly go wrong!” The younger Manakete said cheerfully. She took hold of Tiki’s egg, carefully. She even slipped her fingertips inside the other dragon girl to aid in pulling out the egg, but she did it with even greater caution with that since she could very easily injure or kill Tiki if she did something wrong. She didn’t want to pull out half of Tiki along with the egg. The very thought almost made her let Maribelle take back over, but she shook it off. Tiki needed a fellow Manakete’s assistance.  
Tiki was almost beyond pain, almost. She noticed Nowi and what the other Manakete was doing for her, but she was so tired. She didn’t know if she could finish. She could feel Say’ri trying to comfort her still, and the egg halfway out of her, but she didn’t know if she could manage the little more it would take.  
Then, Tiki saw Naga sitting beside her. She was sure she was the only one who saw her, otherwise there would be a very big deal. Rycalla and Chrom would certainly recognize Naga. And Nowi would probably figure it out very easily. Tiki looked a lot like her mother, after all. And the sudden appearance of another Manakete out of nowhere would give it away, even for someone like Nowi.  
“Tiki, I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have done this. I knew how much pain it would cause you, but I did it anyway,” Naga said. Of course, nobody else could hear her.  
“I’m dying,” Tiki murmured out loud.  
“No, you’re not! Just give one last big push, and it will all be over,” Nowi said.  
“She’s right, child. I’m sorry this hurts so much, and I helped her what I could. The rest is up to you, Tiki. And you can do this. You can draw strength from your friends, they love you so much, especially Say’ri. She has not let you go since this started, even though she is afraid of your love,” Naga said.  
Tiki felt reassured and managed to put the last of her strength into one final push. She felt Nowi finally pull the egg out. Nowi just sat and stared at the blue egg in her hands.  
“You did it, Tiki,” Say’ri whispered. Tiki was more exhausted than she had ever been, but she still smiled. Naga smiled back at her and vanished from view. Maribelle got to work cleaning Tiki up, but the Manakete didn’t mind, she just wanted to rest. Nowi crawled over to her.  
“Look Tiki. Here’s your egg. You’ve got to keep it warm so the baby can hatch soon,” Nowi said, placing the egg in the other Manakete’s arms. Tiki snuggled her egg against her and fell asleep, still resting on Say’ri.


	14. Chapter 14

Tiki had a lot of maternal instinct, at least what the Manaketes considered to be. She always kept the egg with her, and always kept it warm, either laying on it when she slept (the shell was hard, it wouldn’t hurt her chick) or wrapping it in one of her blankets. She mostly kept to her nest, even though Chrom and Rycalla had to clear away a lot of the feathers ruined from the traumatic birthing or the closet would smell. Of course, Tiki always thought that closet smelled to begin with from all the chicken feathers, having heightened senses being a Manakete. It would not be a good place for her child to hatch and she knew it, much as she liked to sleep there. She had other plans for when that happened.  
Tiki already felt a bond with her unborn baby. She didn’t care what kind of power her daughter had, she would never give her up, even to another Manakete. Gotoh had failed Naga, failed her, and landed her in the hands of Gharnef, who did horrible things…who made her do horrible things. At least her child would never have to suffer like that. Tiki would die before she allowed anyone to abuse her daughter.  
The Manakete laid on her side on a bed in the morning three days after laying the egg, nuzzling it, whispering softly. She hoped the chick could hear her inside that hard egg. She wanted her to recognize her voice when she was born, to know her mother. Tiki told the chick all kinds of things, made all manner of promises, even though she knew her child didn’t understand her even if she did hear in there. Adult Lucina watched at a distance. She knew not to get between the Manakete and her egg. Tiki had already yelled at Nowi to not get too close, that it would confuse her chick if she heard her voice. Tiki still wore the blue maternity outfit Cordelia had helped her pick out. Probably because she was still so tired from the laying she didn’t care what she wore.   
“Where is Say-Say?” Tiki asked quietly, pulling her egg against her. The child inside kicked and Tiki stroked the shell gently.  
“Who? You mean Say’ri, don’t you? There was a Risen problem not too far from here. Father dispatched some of them to take care of it. Say’ri was one of them. She should return soon,” Lucina said.   
“That’s good,” Tiki said. She wasn’t able to move too much yet. She was still recovering.  
“You’ve got a very pretty egg,” Lucina said.  
“I have a very active chick. She seems healthy. And she’s not too small, I worried about that since she was laid early, but If I hold the egg up to sunlight, I can see the silhouette,” Tiki purred, still petting the egg.  
“That’s incredible. Will she hatch as a dragon?”  
“From what I’ve seen in the egg…she’s in humanoid form. I believe it’s part of how Manaketes had their dragon power sealed. She has to be exposed to a Dragonstone just like the rest of us. It’s hard to explain everything, and I don’t know all of it either. I don’t know if I’m going to allow her to use the Dragonstone until she’s old enough to understand it though. What it means to be a Manakete, a dragon. Who knows what a curious baby dragon could do? Especially with power like mine…she could be dangerous in dragon form,” Tiki said.  
“Yeah, I have a feeling we’re gonna find out what a baby dragon can do when Nowi has Nah in a few months. First thing she’s gonna try to do is transform her child,” Lucina said.  
“I will try to advise her against that, but I don’t know if she’ll listen. Sometimes I wonder if that girl has problems, but then I remember how I was when I was her age. She’ll grow up someday, I hope. I don’t think being married to Henry helps though. He’d be just as likely to encourage her to let Nah transform before she’s ready. I feel bad for Nowi, though, don’t get me wrong. She still thinks she’s going to find her parents, nobody has the heart to tell her that she, I, Naga, and my chick are quite likely the only pure Divine Dragons left in the entire world. I could be wrong, but I don’t think any others survived,” Tiki said. “It’s too bad. Much as I love Say’ri, I sometimes wonder what it would be like to have a Manakete mate. Someone who would live as long as I shall.”  
“May I hold the egg?” Lucina asked.  
“I’d rather you didn’t. I’m sorry. It’s not that I don’t trust you. I do. I know you would be very careful with my baby, but I haven’t let anyone else hold it since Nowi placed it in my arms,” Tiki said.  
“You’re a very protective mother.”  
“All dragons are. And the chick inside this egg is far more than any other Manakete child. She is the future of the Divine Dragon Tribe, I can’t let anything happen to her. She depends on me, I keep her warm and alive, and it scares me to think about anything happening to her. Maybe when she’s born I’ll let you hold her.”  
“Humans are as warm-blooded as you, Lady Tiki, but if you do not wish me to handle your egg, so be it. I will not ask again.”  
“Thank you for being so understanding. And though I do not wish you to hold my egg, you can feel it. I like feeling my child move,” Tiki said.  
“You barked at Nowi for getting close,” Lucina said, unsure.  
“Yes, I did, and I don’t know why. Perhaps I am just uneasy about having another female Manakete so close to my child, although she is Divine Dragon too. Naga tells me that Earth Dragons used to eat our eggs, maybe it’s just written into me to be overprotective when it comes to another Manakete,” Tiki whispered.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, whatever happened to all those other dragons? And yes, Tiki did have wings.

Tiki closely watched Lucina and anyone else who would want to touch her egg, but she still absolutely would not allow Nowi close to her. And of course, Say’ri was not only allowed to feel for the chick, but Tiki would allow her to hold the egg, even hold it up to sunlight to see the silhouette of the little Manakete.  
“It looks like she has wings,” Say’ri told Tiki. They were sitting on a bed together, Say’ri admiring Tiki’s egg.  
“She probably does coming from me. I was born with wings. I didn’t need them since I can turn into a dragon if I want to fly, so I had them removed years back,” Tiki replied.  
“You’re not planning on having your daughter’s wings removed, are you?”  
“Only if she wants. Nobody is doing anything like that to my chicky that she doesn’t want. If she wants to keep them that’s her call.”  
“Hey, Tiki? Lucina said you wished there were more Manaketes around and all. So I thought about it and have been meaning to ask you something. What happens when two Manaketes of different tribes have a chick? Like, if you were to mate with an Ice Dragon, what would your children be?” Say’ri asked.  
Tiki smiled. “In the unlikely event I would actually manage to conceive to the Ice Dragon, the child would be a Divine Dragon or an Ice Dragon, either one or the other, about an equal chance both ways. That’s how it works with us. But I don’t want a Manakete mate right now. I love you, I want to be with you” she said.  
“You know, I thought about making your daughter my heiress right out, but I…can’t. My people would never accept a Manakete ruler, not in a million years. Not even if she is a Divine Dragon and a direct descendant of Naga. Everyone would fear it would turn out to be like that Doluna place we’ve read about. I’m sorry Tiki, I can’t make it work the way you would like it to,” Say’ri said.  
“It’s okay Say-Say. It was just an idea. There will be many other things my daughter can do,” Tiki said. “I’m gonna take a nap, if you want to cuddle up with me, you’re more than welcome.”  
“I can do better than that,” Say’ri said, laying back on the bed. Tiki went and laid in her arms after wrapping the egg up in a blanket to keep it warm and placing it next to them. Tiki rested her head on Say’ri’s chest and listened to her heart beat.  
“I love you so much, Say-Say,” Tiki purred.  
“Just rest, dear Manakete. Dream your sweet dreams, I will make sure nothing bothers you or your unborn child,” Say’ri whispered.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Tiki awoke much later still on Say’ri’s lap. Say’ri herself was asleep, but Tiki felt a sense of urgency. She had to take her egg and leave for a while. She didn’t know for sure, but she believed her chick was about to hatch within the next few days, and while she loved the other woman, she wanted to be with Naga when her daughter entered the world. She had to fly off to Mt. Prism, she had to find her mother.  
After writing a note explaining herself, Tiki took her egg and a Dragonstone outside and transformed, taking the egg gently in her teeth as soon as she was fully dragon. Then she took to the skies, hoping she’d make it to Naga’s shrine before her egg hatched. She didn’t want anyone else around, she needed the chick to imprint on her, but she also wanted her to recognize Naga. Naga had given her this egg, the chick had to know that.  
Being in Dragon form was almost comforting at this point. Tiki hadn’t been happy in her humanoid form lately. Her breasts were swollen with milk and they hurt her, and she was still sore from the delivery. It took Manaketes longer to heal from severe injury than humans, likely because they lived so long. In Dragon form she felt none of the pain since she had different parts. She wished she could’ve given birth in Dragon form with it being larger, but Manaketes could not do that. Every one of them that tried had ended up degenerating in the process simply from the maddening pain of it.  
The Manakete could not keep going though. She had to return to her almost elven form once in a while and rest. She knew they couldn’t remain in Dragon shape for too long, and she still needed her naps once in a while. She rested the first night by a campfire, keeping her egg safe and warm against her chest, close to her heart. Right before she went to sleep she put the egg close to her long ears and took a listen for the heartbeat of the Manakete baby, grinning when she heard it and placing the egg safely against her again, curled up around it and fell asleep.  
Tiki’s dreams were strange, but at least she wasn’t having nightmares again. She kept seeing the other Divine Dragons she knew, it did pain her to know they were probably all gone like the rest of her friends, that she, Nowi, and her unborn child were quite possibly the only Divine Dragons still around. She wasn’t sure what had happened to Gotoh or Xane (even though he annoyed her greatly). Of course, she had been wrong before about being the last of the Divine Dragons, so it was possible there was someone else out there, despite how rare any Manakete was.  
Naga knew her daughter was going to visit her shrine. She was always with Tiki, even if she didn’t make her presence known. She eagerly awaited her daughter, honoured that Tiki would visit her when the chick hatching was imminent. Naga knew more about the child then she let on, and she would answer whatever Tiki was sure to ask once she arrived at Mt. Prism.


	16. Chapter 16

Tiki woke up the next morning on top of the egg again. She didn’t like doing that. The eggshell was strong enough now, but she worried that she’d end up crushing her chick when it hatched. The child inside was kicking wildly. Tiki knew she’d have to reach Naga soon, hatching was imminent with how active the baby was. She wanted out of the egg, and it would happen within the next few hours, Tiki was sure.  
Tiki picked the egg back up and continued on her journey as a dragon again. Her excitement was almost too much to bear. Soon her child would hatch and she’d be able to meet her. She couldn’t wait to hold her baby, to cuddle the new little Divine Dragon, to be a mother.  
Tiki said to her chick but it was clear her daughter wasn’t making any promises. She had to be careful holding the chick in her teeth, and she really hoped it didn’t hatch with her like this. She wanted it to see her in humanoid form, not as a big terrifying dragon. Even though her child was a dragon too, Tiki wanted to gradually reveal that to her, it was a lot to take in and Tiki feared her daughter would be just as dangerous as she herself was. She also needed her mother’s advice if the child carried that power.  
Tiki landed and changed back from her dragon form. She had finally made it, and her daughter was kicking inside the egg like crazy. “Just wait a little longer, please baby,” Tiki pleaded with her child, knowing it wouldn’t do any good. She just had to get to the temple, then her daughter could be born in Naga’s home, in Naga’s sight.  
The temple was quiet, too quiet. The silence bothered Tiki, all she heard was her own breathing. She felt her mother’s presence though. Naga knew she was there, she knew why too. Tiki settled herself against a wall and rested the egg on her belly, stroking it, knowing the time was near. “It’s okay,” Tiki purred to her unborn child, “you can come out now.”  
Naga rested with her daughter, appearing like she always did. “The time is near,” Naga said.  
“Yes. I feared she would arrive outside, but it seems she is a bit more patient than I first believed,” Tiki said.  
“Then she is like you. You took your sweet time being born, and then having to give you up mere days later…it nearly killed me,” Naga said.  
“Did you ever even get to hold me?” Tiki asked.  
“More than that. You hatched in my arms. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen and I have been around a long time,” Naga said. “I was holding my egg, waiting, longing, and then the egg split into pieces very suddenly, and there you were all wet and new and so beautiful. I loved you right from the start.”  
“You can hold me now,” Tiki said. Naga sat with her and put her arm around her. Tiki didn’t feel anything past Naga’s warm loving presence, and she wished she could. She wished she could snuggle up against her mother’s physical warmth and just wait for her child to hatch, but she settled for being in Naga’s sanctuary.  
The chick was wildly trying to break through the shell, and Tiki wished she could help her, but she wasn’t supposed to. The Manakete baby had to break out herself, prove she was strong enough to live in the outside world, but after more than a year of waiting Tiki was aching so much to meet her. The egg just had to crack…then Tiki could help her chick. Naga could feel her daughter’s excitement.  
“Calm yourself, Tiki. It may be a while yet, Dragon eggs aren’t easy to break out from,” Naga said.  
“Can’t I help her? She could suffocate in there! She’s already able to survive on the outside if she’s ready to hatch, can’t I open the egg?” Tiki asked, though she knew the answer very well.  
“The child will not suffocate, but I like to see how much you already love her. No, you cannot assist until she has cracked the shell herself, you know this! Please calm yourself. When the chick arrives, she will need you to be calm and collected enough to take good care of her,” Naga said.  
“That’s not going to be a problem. I’m absolutely full of milk, it hurts. I really hope I have a thirsty child.”  
“You’ll be fine. So, why didn’t you bring your girlfriend along? If you’re worried about it bothering me that you’re in love with another woman, don’t be. You know better than anyone else that Manaketes live long, if they’re interested in humans they can take many lovers. I myself have been involved with a number of people. I like humans, it doesn’t bother me that you want to be with one, even a female. I like Say’ri anyway. I’m always watching over you, and she loves you dearly and wants to act as a second mother to your daughter,” Naga said.  
Tiki blushed. “I do love Say-Say, but I just had to do this alone. I know she helped me deliver the egg, but I just felt that she would worry about getting in my way or something. I really did consider bringing her along, letting her ride on my back when I was in dragon form. I don’t know why I didn’t bring her. Maybe it’s best that I’m alone with you anyway,” she said.  
A tiny crack appeared in the egg and Tiki stared, transfixed. She couldn’t see much of a distinct shape from the small crack, but when she went to open it, a tiny little hand came out and wrapped around her finger. Tiki was unable to move, and sat there breathing hard, looking at the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.  
“Mother…look,” Tiki squeaked, her eyes still glued to the egg. A large crack appeared in the egg and it split open. Tiki stared into the green eyes of her daughter, the baby still holding onto her finger. Tiki kept breathing hard, not believing the amazing things she was seeing. Finally, she found her voice. “Hello, I’ve been waiting so long for you, Marti,” she purred.  
“Marti…you just combined your pretty name with Marth’s. I should’ve figured you’d do something like that. I have a very strange little girl,” Naga said. Tiki was nuzzling her newborn child.  
“Yes, I did. What’s wrong with it? Don’t you like it?” Tiki asked. Marti climbed over her mother’s shoulder and reached out to Naga.  
“Nothing is wrong with it. You're just strange, and I mean that in the nicest way possible. She can see me,” Naga said happily.  
“Of course she can. Didn’t you realize she would? You know more about her than even I do, and she’s my chicky, she knows you. She’ll probably eventually talk to you like I do,” Tiki said happily, holding Marti still so she couldn’t get hurt. “I’m gonna take her home soon, show her off, but maybe I could spend a few extra days here. We both need to bond with my chick.”  
“I’d like that, Tiki,” Naga said.


	17. Chapter 17

Tiki contentedly nursed Marti, eating the eggshell (after keeping one little piece to keep forever to remember) to clean up. She didn’t know why she wanted to eat it, and Naga watched intently.  
“I’m not sure, but I think that is instinctual. I ate the eggshell after you were born too,” Naga said.  
“If I couldn’t eat bones and stuff like that, I’d be worried about breaking my teeth on this. As is, I cut my mouth in several places. It’s like eating shrapnel. No wonder it took her so long to hatch,” Tiki said.  
Marti looked just like a little version of Tiki, of course considering she had only her genes it was to be expected. She had white wings, just like her mother had been born with, they just had to fluff up enough and grow real feathers instead of light down and she’d be able to use them. Tiki didn’t know how she’d teach the child to fly, being as she didn’t have wings anymore. She’d have to transform to do it.  
“You’ve got a very special child there, take good care of her,” Naga said.  
Tiki smiled, cradling her daughter in her arms. “I’m never gonna let her out of my sight. She’s so tiny and vulnerable now, I can’t leave yet. Stay with me,” she said.  
“I will. I never leave you, and I will never leave Marti. And she’s little now but feeding off you, she’ll get bigger pretty fast,” Naga said.  
“Hey! Marti, you bite me again and the Tiki bar is gonna be closed for a while! Great, born with fangs, I never expected that. She bit me!” Tiki yelled.  
Naga laughed. “Oh yes. I knew that. Considering how many times you bit me the first few days, before I gave you up, I know quite well how painful it is,” she said.  
“Mother…I’ve been wondering for a long time. That night when you created Marti in me, what were you going to say when Morgan woke me up? It began with ‘we are Divine Dragons, being alone never stopped us from…”  
“’…learning to love ourselves as well as others.’ It just means I was worried about your health at that point,” Naga finished.  
“Really? That’s all? I do practice it. It all seems like so long ago, even though it was only little more than a year ago. I’m not alone anymore. I’ll forever have Marti and I love Say-Say. And I have Nowi and Nah and Rycalla for now. I love them all. I hope they aren’t too worried about me… Marti, what did I just tell you about the biting?” Tiki said, even though she knew her daughter didn’t understand her yet.  
“Behave yourself, granddaughter,” Naga said. She knew Marti understood her, but she was on a different level altogether than her descendants. Tiki was stronger, but Naga had different powers. Naga had no idea how she produced someone so strong. Naga could feel Marti also had powers, but nothing like her mother.  
“You’re looking at her funny,” Tiki said.  
“Just because she reminds me so much of you,” Naga said.  
“She has no father, just me, it’s only natural she looks like me.”  
“It’s more than just the looks. She’s strong, like you. I’m not afraid for her, at least. I know you will take care of her and never allow anyone to harm or abuse her,” Naga said.  
“I wish you could hold her, she’s so soft and warm,” Tiki said.  
“She’s sleeping.”  
“I hope she stays asleep for a while. I want to take a nap myself. You can take care of us, can’t you?”  
“Nothing will bother you here,” Naga promised.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Tiki was only able to sleep for a few hours. Like a human baby, Marti wouldn’t sleep more than two hours at a time. She was hungry again, which bothered Tiki. Though she loved her chick more than her own self, she didn’t like having her sensitive breasts all bit up.  
“I’m going to wish you did have a father to help take care of you, aren’t I? I know Say-Say will help me best she can but she won’t have milk or anything. Maybe I can convince Nowi to nurse you sometimes once we get home. I just have to convince her I wasn’t mad at her, I was being irrational and it wasn’t right. I should’ve been nicer to her, she helped me, and she’s going to have a baby of her own soon and all. You’ll be very happy having other little Manaketes to play with. I wish I had dragon friends my own age when I was growing up,” Tiki told Marti once she had finished feeding her again.  
“Be nice to the younger Manaketes,” Naga said. She seemed content and tired herself. Tiki wasn’t sure if her mother ever slept, but she looked like she wanted to.  
“I’m going outside. I need some air,” Tiki said, cradling Marti safely in her arms.  
“It’s night. You can’t leave yet, you’re tired and the child is tired. Just rest some more,” Naga said.  
“I’m not leaving for another few days. I’m just going outside. I’m used to being able to get out. I want to see the stars. It’s much clearer out here than in the towns. Very peaceful, I love it.”  
Tiki walked outside, Marti squirming in her arms. Tiki wasn’t sure whether the baby was upset because she couldn’t see Naga anymore or whether she was just trying to play the only way she knew how. Tiki hoped she’d fall asleep, but not just yet. She had to show her something first, even if she wouldn’t understand.  
“Look Marti. See all the stars? Most of my friends are looking down on us from there. They would’ve loved you. Xane would probably make fun of you, but I don’t think he ever really meant anything too bad when he’d imitate someone. Not sure. Mar-Mar would’ve been so happy I named my chicky after him. I loved him very much, I was devastated when he left, but you know what? I’m happy to see all his descendants. Chrom and Lissa, and their kids. Especially Lucina, she reminds me the most. And there are other Manakete girls who will love to play with you when you get big enough. I wonder if Mar-Mar and Caeda are looking down on us right now. I hope so,” Tiki said, sitting down to play with her daughter gently. Marti was only slightly more developed than a human child, even though she had been born a little bit early. Tiki looked skyward and smiled, remembering Marth fondly. She may not have had him, but she had new friends, and her very own little Manakete girl to love. And they’d always be with her, just as he and Naga were.


End file.
